The use of monoclonal antibodies (mABs) to deliver anticancer drugs directly to tumor cells has attracted a great deal of focus in recent years. Two new antibody-drug conjugates have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of cancer. Adcetris® (brentuximab vedotin) is a CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) indicated for the treatment of relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Kadcyla® (ado-trastuzumab emtansine), is a new therapy approved for patients with HER2-positive, late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer. To obtain a therapeutic both potent anti-tumor activity and acceptable therapeutic index in an ADC, several aspects of design may be optimized. Particularly, it is well known that the chemical structure of the linker can have significant impact on both the efficacy and the safety of ADC (Ducry & Stump, Bioconjugate Chem, 2010, 21, 5-13). Choosing the right linker influences proper drug delivery to the intended cellular compartment of cancer cells. Linkers can be generally divided into two categories: cleavable (such as peptide, hydrzone, or disulfide) or non-cleavable (such as thioether). Peptide linkers, such as Valine-Citrulline (Val-Cit), that can be hydrolyzed by lysosomal enzymes (such as Cathepsin B) have been used to connect the drug with the antibody (U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,345). They have been particularly useful, due in part to their relative stability in systemic circulation and the ability to efficiently release the drug in tumor. ADCs containing the Val-Cit linker have been shown to be relatively stable in vivo (t1/2 for drug release is ˜7 days (Doronina et al (2008), Bioconjugate Chem., 19, 1960-1963)). However, the chemical space represented by natural peptides is limited; therefore, it is desirable to have a variety of non-peptide linkers which act like peptides and can be effectively cleaved by lysosomal proteases. The greater diversity of non-peptide structures may yield novel, beneficial properties that are not afforded by the peptide linkers. Provided herein are different types of non-peptide linkers for ADC that can be cleaved by lysosomal enzymes.
There is a need in the art for agents that target antigens for the diagnosis and treatment of certain conditions, such as cancer. The invention fulfills that need and provides other benefits.